Noah

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“Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” - Genesis 5:29

A descendant of Seth.

Cosmology

In the generations of Seth, Enoch dealt with higher spiritual levels, whereas Noah dealt with animal and material levels.

(The Language of Creation: Cosmic Symbolism in Genesis - A Commentary by Matthieu Pageau, 2018. Pages 89-92)

Story of Noah

Noah is born

Lamech fathered Noah at 182, saying, "Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.”

After Noah was 500 years old, he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

(Genesis 5:28-32)

Noah finds favor in the Lord's eyes and is ordered to build an ark

The wickedness of man became so great that the Lord regretted making man on the earth. However, Noah found favor in His eyes, as he was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and walked with God. God told Noah,

"I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”

Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

(Genesis 6)

Noah enters the ark, and the flood falls

Then the Lord told Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground."

Noah did all the Lord commanded him, going into the ark at 600 years old. His household and every creature went into the ark with him, and the Lord shut him in.

When the flood waters came from the fountains of the great deep and the windows of the heavens, it was the 600th year of Noah's life, in the 2nd month, and the 17th day of the month. Rain fell upon the earth 40 days and 40 nights. The ark floated over the water that rose to cover 15 cubits over the mountains, killing all flesh. Only Noah and those with him in the ark survived. And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

(Genesis 7)

Noah finds the waters receding

Then God remembered Noah and all the beasts and livestock in the ark and closed the deep's fountains and heaven's windows and restrained the rain. At the end of 150 days, the waters abated, and on the 17th day of the 7th month, the ark landed on the mountains of Ararat.

At the end of 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters dried. Then he sent forth a dove to see if the waters had subsided yet, and she returned after finding no place to rest. He put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 7 days later, he tried again with the dove, and she returned in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her mouth, demonstrating that the waters had subsided from the earth. 7 days later, he sent the dove out again, and she did not return anymore.

(Genesis 8)

Noah leaves the ark

On 1st day of the 1st month of the 601st year, Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw the face of the ground was dry. On the 27th day of the 2nd month, God told Noah, "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." So Noah went out with his family, and every beast, creeping thing, and bird went out with their families from the ark.

(Genesis 8)

Noah builds an altar to the Lord

Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and decided to never again curse the ground nor strike down all living creatures as He had done.

(Genesis 8)

Noah's covenant

God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to be fruitful and multiply and that the fear of them shall be upon every beast, bird, and fish. Every moving thing shall be food for them, but they shall not eat flesh with its blood. For their lifeblood, God will require a reckoning, be it from beast or man.

God also established his covenant with Noah and his offspring, as well as with every living thing from the ark. "I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

(Genesis 9)

Noah curses Canaan and blesses Shem and Japheth

From Noah's sons, Shem, Ham (father of Canaan), and Japheth, the people of the whole earth were dispersed.

Noah became a man of the soil and planted a vineyard. He became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham saw his father's nakedness and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backwards to cover the nakedness of their father without looking upon him.

When Noah awoke and knew what his youngest son did, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; / a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; / and let Canaan be his servant. / May God enlarge Japheth, / and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, / and let Canaan be his servant.”

After the flood, Noah lived 350 years and died at the age of 950.

(Genesis 9)

Nations descend from Noah

After the flood, sons are born to Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. From them arise peoples in their own lands, each with their own language, clans, and nations. (Genesis 10)

Literary Form

The story of Noah (Genesis 6-9) resembles a hero story. He is a hero of righteousness in an evil age, God's agent of rescue, and the father of a new world.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken, Page 131-132)